Care closer to home: how pharmacies are bringing health services to the community

Community pharmacies are among the most accessible NHS services, with 80 per cent of people living within a 20-minute walk. Traditionally focused on dispensing, they are now evolving into clinically focused services at the heart of neighbourhood health. This session explores how community pharmacy is becoming integral to the neighbourhood health service. Speakers will share learning from integrated prescribing models, including the Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme, showing how pharmacy-led services improve access, release GP capacity and support more joined-up care across neighbourhoods. The session will also highlight community-pharmacy-based cholesterol point-of-care testing. Early findings show that one-in-five people tested were identified as being at raised cardiovascular risk, many of whom would not otherwise have accessed timely testing. Embedding testing within prescribing pathways has enabled earlier intervention, prevention and better patient conversations. Attendees will gain practical insights into collaborative working across primary and primary care, and the growing role of community pharmacy in delivering accessible, preventative neighbourhood health services.